Page 39 of Deadly Business

I had no plans to tellhimany of this.

I watched as the two brothers unloaded the bags and didn’t once lift a finger. A girl could get used to this. It also gave me a chance to spot even more differences between them.

When Corbin put items in the fridge, like eggs or a gallon of my favorite ice tea, he opened the door the entire way, making sure each item was on the proper shelf. Cyrus acted the exact opposite. He opened the door, chucked things in randomly, and then let it close on his arm.

It was fascinating for about… three minutes.

As they lingered toward the bottom of the purchases, I found myself back in the living room on the couch, staring at the closed top of Corbin’s laptop.

Just as I got comfortable, Corbin came and dropped onto the couch beside me. A few seconds later, the cushions squished when Cyrus sat on the opposite side of his brother.

Corbin glanced over, and his expression held a whole ton of malice. “No.”

Cyrus smiled as if he expected that from his brother. “Absolutely, yes.”

Cyrus sighed, and it felt like he released a lifetime of aggravation in the breath. He leaned forward, popped open the top of his laptop and we watched in silence as a new file transfer bar crept its way across the screen.

I always imagine hacking, breaking encryptions, and stealing files would be more… exciting. Really, it included a lot of sitting around and waiting.

And then more waiting.

“We need better internet if we plan to stay here. This is archaic. I can find a dial-up modem somewhere and get this done faster.”

Now that Corbin had successfully broken the encryption and unlocked the thumb drive, he had to unzip and move the files. It was a never-ending process.

Cyrus closed the top of the laptop and pushed it away from his brother before standing. “I didn’t figure you’d be in such a hurry to get rid of your new friend.”

I stiffened, not wanting to be the topic of their conversation, but the two brothers carried on as if I wasn’t sitting on the same sofa. It was like they forgot I existed.

“I’m in a hurry to get Hazel out of danger. Who knows when the Grandmaster will make his next move?”

Cyrus shook his head, his face one full of questions. “We’ve never worked with him before or had any problems, but something about the situation seems off. What is a Chicago mob boss doing with a CEO at All American Bank in Maine?”

Corbin looked at the laptop cover and tapped his fingers on it. “I guess we’ll find out once these files finish downloading.”

“Why don’t you like the place? It has everything you need—a couch, beds, a kitchen.” Cyrus leaned over the back of the sofa, leaving dents in the old piece of furniture.

“I can’t get any work done here. There’s barely a signal,” Corbin continued to argue. The lack of good internet was really getting to him.

Cyrus shrugged. “How much work do you plan to do here? It’s a safe house. A place to go when you’re on the run. Not to stay for holidays.” There was a measured pause between his next words. “Unless your life plans have changed recently,” he said, lifting an eyebrow and staring pointedly at me.

The attention raised my nerves.

I dropped my gaze to the floor, noticing the nice carpet. For such an older home, it appeared almost brand new. While not my style, the wallpaper looked nice. They obviously had it done by a professional because the lines of the pinstripes were pretty exact. The curtains in the kitchen weren’t my preferred pattern. I didn’t really prefer a country ambiance for eating areas. Regardless of my opinions, someone put a lot of time and love into the home.

So many interesting things to stare at rather than the brothers and their argument.

“Don’t worry about what I’m doing,” Corbin eventually said, his body rigid as he stared off with his brother. But that in the next second, the anger dissipated right out the window as if it had never been there. “What are you doing today?”

“I thought of going shopping. Visit the shops in Portland that Katy keeps talking about. Do you guys want to come? Grab new clothes?” he said, looking directly at me and his gaze falling to the sweatpants from Corbin I had rolled up around my waist.

And just like that, the tension in the room came back as Corbin went rock solid beside me. “Have you lost your mind? I’m not taking her out of the house. Someone is searching for her and my files are still transferring.”

“It would be a little fun. This place is boring and there’s nothing to do in Pelican Bay.”

Corbin breathed out his nose, sounding a bit like a bull ready to run through a china shop. “She’s not leaving, and that’s final.”

Cyrus took his seat on the couch again, leaned back and smiled as he got comfortable. His brother’s refusal did not disturb him in the slightest. “Okay, then we’ll stay here.”

---